Exhausted, been up since four this morning. Left germany, took a car, a plane, a bus, a train, missed a train, took another train, the wrong train, got off and took a train back, ran to a bus, walked to a friends house, took a car another train and another car. Now living in a house in the center of Sarnano. The house of the grandma of the lady I was supposed to stay with, her nurse and her nurses son. He is my age and very nice. No one speaks English. My brain hurts, going to bed.

Where now..

Been writing without posting. Finished school two weeks ago and moved to Urbasaglia with a family. They only speak Italian so learning it has become a necessity. Also been helping out at an elementary school, small collage, and a high school teaching English in the Marche region of Italy and love it.

Now life is in Limburg Germany, with Timur. Headed back to Italy on Saturday and will move in with a new family for a week before moving to another family. Switching families is the way it looks like things are gonna go, week per family. So far so good.

Sunday March 21st, 2010

Started writing papers and cleaning today, fells good to be caught up on the dishes and laundry.

Last night was crazy too, we got together at the gates. But before that Emily and Willy and Hsuan-Hsuan all came over and we tried to finish the five liter jug of wine. It's purchase at a local winery felt like a great idea until carrying it a kilometer home...

We waited at the city gates, Paolo was there with some of our friends. Flip cup was attempted and failed on a railing leading down under the road. After some time we ended up at Farber Café, one of our favorite bars. We have gotten to be decent friends with the owner, him being one of the few English speakers in the city. The good deals on drinks are also a plus. We got a solid game of flip cup going, Italians aren't much for drinking games, they handle drinking in a slightly more mature way, but we did end up getting Fabio, the owner, and a few others to play a round or two.

Things around here are starting to fall into place. Starting to build up a great group of friends. There is someone always to go out with and on the in days, to study with. Home here is beginning to take form. Also, after two and a half months I figured out how to grocery shop. Started eating vegetables, fruit, and whole grain pasta and bread. I love tomatoes now, especially with mozzarella cheese and salt. Started drawing and writing again, that, along with running and working out, is opening up the box of life here. Life is starting to get good right before the end, the programs finishes up in two weeks..

This weekend was to catch up and breath. Am still really behind with papers and everything, but feeling much better about the situation. Talked with Carly too, we don't want to kill each other anymore, and instead of doing homework we photoshopped for the rest of the day.

Saturday, March 20th, 2010

This morning I woke up to the broken wash machine dance again. I swear they are a cult. They chant and stomp for hours and hours, the same thing over and over again. They start around 9 in the morning and sometimes don’t finish until 12 at night. It is the most annoying thing ever, worse than Lewis. They make the whole apartment building shake. I can’t believe it hasn’t collapsed yet.

The whole day was relaxing. It felt great to sleep in and be able to wake up and color. Last night a bunch of us went out drinking and they got me drunk drawing and it was horrible. So I had to draw today to redeem myself. We also tried to play flip cup at the bar but the waitress took our cups away.

Paolo came over and made me dinner. He bought me a huge chocolate egg. Like a foot tall! I got to smash it, so much fun. More friends came over after dinner and we played this weird hand drinking game. We were cracking up so bad. Then I taught them zip bong and I was laughing so hard wine was coming out my nose. That is probably the funniest and most evil drinking game.

Bikes!

Oh my gosh this is so cool, there is a huge bike rice, like the tour di France, but in Italy and one of the legs ends in Macerata!!! I don’t want to go to art class, I don’t want to miss this, but we have to because the people from the states are coming to observe the program so we had to stay, but we went out on the balcony for the first round, the second round I dipped out, I just ran away from class and go outside the walls, sat in dog shit and took pictures of the bikers. Some of them were pretty good looking so I ran home to change out of my pants which had poop all over them. I get out and they’re coming up this huge hill next to my apartment building, there are hundreds of people standing on this ledge cheering, I jump up too but don’t get a good view of them coming up the hill. After the second group goes by I run up the hill inside the walls to get to the finish line, I stop at the via where they enter the walls. I have a good view of them coming around the corner, there is a huge TV set up showing the race live, so I can see the bikers, the people and helicopters filming the bikers, and then I can see them on tv. All at the same time!!! I am so overwhelmed, they are machines, in such great shape, I cant believe I let myself get fat and out of shape over here. As soon as I finish my box of chocolate its workout time. I went healthy grocery shopping today, I hope I can get back in shape. 

No new posts

Sorry I have not been posting things, I am so busy here. We just got back from Florence yesterday and I have a ton of writings to post as soon as I get them organized. It is finally starting to warm up here. I got a little sunburn out running yesterday. I have been eating way to much and working out way to little. I miss riding my bike and swimming and working out. Today there is a huge bike race threw Italy and they will be going through Macerata where I live. I found a different grocery store by the train station that has cheeper chicken so I am going to try to start eating healthier. I have been trying to give away all my chocolate, but I still am eating about half' of it. I met a few more new cool people the other day. Figures, things start getting good right before the end. School is done in a few weeks then I move in with an Italian family. I have not met them yet and I don't think they speak English, I am really excited though. Ok to every take care and know that I really do miss you all and home. Be safe and enjoy where you are, every place has something great about it. 

Sunday February 28th 2010,

I’m skipping a few days because everyone keeps asking me about this story. If you are already worried about me please don’t read this.

I’m so sad and trying not to cry. I’m on the bus to the airport and had to say goodbye to Elena. I don’t like this.

I am not looking forward to going back to Italy. It is so much more comforting here in Germany.

It’s so windy, the bus is rocking and we are on a huge bridge in the lane closest to the edge. I may die today and if I do just know I died doing what I love.

Oh p.s. to anyone who thinks they are the shit because they have a Mercedes, get over yourself, garbage trucks here are made by Mercedes.

Its so windy, we’re gonna die.

Ahh, I just looked at all the pictures from this week, it was such a good trip.

Ok, we are really gonna die. We keep getting hit by huge gusts of wind and the driver breaks and everyone gasps. If we tip over, I’m on the up side so I’ll smash into the window on my right.

Elena’s B-Day was the 20^th so I got her this sweet coffee mug she wanted and a thank you card for both her family and her boyfriend’s family for taking me in. When I was doing that she was getting my b-day present from her and her family. We hugged each other starting to tear up, but we managed to keep it together. Her dad packed me a huge lunch entirely wrapped in tinfoil.

So I just about had a heart attach, I got my flight time confused and thought I missed it. I will never get used to Military time.

This wind is freaking me out. I’m in the airport and I can still hear it and even feel it beat on the walls.

So I met some cool Germans in the airport but one is not so cool. He is kind of annoying and won’t stop talking to me even though his flight is about to leave, ok sweet he is gone now.

So they just had a PA announcement telling about heavy storms and warning people not to leave the building. Sweet, I am not only about to leave the building, I am about to get into a plane that is supposed to fly. My life is over.

So now I’m on the plane and it’s rocking like crazy in the wind and I can’t pee because the guy in the aisle seat is already sleeping, crap…

I think there is something dripping from my overhead compartment….

I asked the flight attendant about it and he said it was probably just the air conditioning, then he checked and it was my water bottle dripping all over the old guys head sitting in front of me.

So I just dropped a chunk of my sandwich on the cabin floor. Am I still gonna eat it? Yep.

Before I got off the plane I had an urge to double-check my area. I looked under my seat and thought I saw something, but I wasn’t sure. So I grabbed it, it was my passport… that was close.

I make it to Pescara ok and now I just have to get to the train station. I have no idea where it is our how to get a bus pass there or what stop I need to get off at. Thank goodness there were some drunk Italians who helped me.

The train station feel so empty, it’s only 8:00 p.m. This is weird. The ticket places are closed so I ask for help and find a self-serve one.

This is bad. There are no more trains to Macerata until 5 in the morning. I am not worried. I don’t know where I am and there is no way of getting home. I keep trying the machine.

I call my friend Matteo, no answer. I call Francesco and he picks up. I tell him what was going on and he tells me where I am and how far I am from home. I thank him for the help and proceed to type the same stuff into the machine hoping for a different solution. Nothing.

I try to find a bancromat at the train station because I only have one euro in my pocket but I can’t find one.  I go back to the machine and see it only takes cards when three young scruffy looking Italians came up to me asking me questions in Italian. I slip my card back into my pocket. They are trying to get to Verona and need my help. I don’t understand. They speak Italian, I am the foreign one here. They are three. I am one. I have my own problems. But I guess they just don’t understand how to use the machine. They look pretty rough. So I help them and Francesco calls back so I talk to him but they keep asking me stuff and pulling be back to the machine. Finally I just tell them I don’t know. I'm sorry; trains are done today and good luck. I was outside looking for a bus. But there isn’t one and the guy tells me I need to get a hotel. I’d rather sleep in the station.

Francesco calls again and tells me there is a train at 23:50 so I return to the ticket machines. The guys are still there, more of them now, but this time they have tickets because another guy helped them. They surround me again showing me their tickets before leaving.

I go to get my debit card out of my pocket and it is gone. Of coarse I think I misplaced it, I look around and can’t find it. I retrace my steps then realize what happened. It makes perfect sense now. Those guys were just playing me. They didn’t really need my help, it was just their way of distraction me. So easy, I am young, foreign, female, lost, confused and it’s late with not any people around. I am the perfect target

I am so pissed I am not about to be played. The whole situation was disgustingly obvious now. The way they treated me when they got their tickets, rubbing it in my face. The was they said goodbye with mocking kisses. I’m fuming, but I know what train they are taking and the platform they are leaving from. I am storming up there right now and completely ready to confront them. I bet it will throw them off guard. My adrenalin is pumping so much I feel like I could take out all of them if they tried to hurt me.

I reach the platform and look everywhere. I can’t find them but I see a police station. I don’t really want to go to them but this is my only chance. If my card is gone. I have no access to money for the next four months, no way to get home, nothing... So I do it. They are all laughing and joking, smoking cigarettes and watching soccer. They talk to me seriously though. Only one speaks a little English and I can’t get the German out of my head so my Italian is useless. I try to describe the guys to them. This is so complicated, playing cerades with Italian policemen, in an empty train station, ten at night, in a city I have never been.

We then go looking for them on foot. I think I see one of them so I follow down this dark sidewalk. He knows I’m behind him. I feel like he is leading me into a trap, but I don’t care. I’m so pissed and the cops are watching. I yell for him to wait. He doesn’t stop. I keep yelling then finally I catch up to him. He turns to face me aggravated, it isn't him. I go back to the police standing outside and they tell me to look around the parking lot.  I do but I don’t see them. They whistle at me to come back, I do, we go back up stairs to the station, they try to communicate with me but it just isn’t working today.

I go into the station where they are watching soccer and try to talk with them and tell them I like soccer. They talk to me in Italian but I have no idea what they are saying, then two of them yell at me to come with them to get into their undercover police care. I do. I'm still trying to be friendly, but it's not getting me anywhere. We drive around and they tell me to look. I am

Then there is a small kebob place in the back of the parking lot and we slow down.  I’m pretty sure I see one of the guys. They ask me if I am positive. Of coarse I am not positive. I am never positive, so they talk to each other, I'm so confused.

I get out to see if it’s them. I approach and they recognize me and are weird. I cant really think but I say, oh fame, (I’m hungry). They ask me what I want so I pretend to look for my money to see their reaction when I realize my card is gone, but before that happens one offers to buy me a coffee. Probably laughing at the fact he knows I don’t have any money. I tell him one minute and go to the police and have an awkward moment trying to discreetly get into the car because I can’t open the door.

In the car we then try to figure out what to do. They get out, I freak out, then police from all over, like ten of them just surround this little kebob stand. It reminds me of a huge drug bust.

Everyone froze and the police started frisking them and going threw their stuff. Now I feel horrible, what if they didn’t take it, what if I just lost it. This is so bad. Not good. I feel horrible I can’t take it anymore, they ask me who the three guys are but I can’t see that far. I don’t want to have to confront them but I have no choice. I get out of the car and walk up to them, they were all frozen and looked confused and like they were about to cry. My heart sank, as I said mi dispiece (I'm sorry)  touching each of their hands. I felt like Judas selling out Jesus.

I didn’t feel hatred though I felt confusion and pain. I want it to end. I want the police to go away. I want the whole situation to go away. I told the police just to forget it but they said they couldn't. If they took my card and got away with it this time they would never stop. I slumped back into the cop car, I can’t watch. I call Francesco; he reassures me I hadn’t overreacted. The situation was too sketchy

The police wont leave them alone. There are about 10 guys being searched and questioned. There are so many police and they are all taking with each other and on phones and radios, they have all of the men’s documents. I have no idea what time it is. I really don’t want them to miss their train. Why isn’t this ending? What if I check my stuff again and I find my card. Or what if it's just laying on the ground somewhere. I started this whole mess for nothing.

One of the officers asked me if I had been drinking. Of coarse not, I was pretty offended.

They just let all the guys go and waved them off nicely. I feel better about that, but now what am I supposed to do? I have no way to get home. They get in the car and say niente (nothing) to me and completely ignore me and talk and joke with each other. They know I'm alone with no money and I have to get to Macerata. Of coarse the will help me. We get back and I get out and follow them to the station to fill out a report. But the just looked at me and said ciao, buon viaggia (see ya, have a nice journey) and literally shooed me away.

I am petrified there are about seven foreign guys in this train station who are pissed at me and here I am scared and alone. I don’t know what to do. I should hid but I cave to look for my card. Right now my priority is getting home, not worrying about what they think.

As soon as I head down the stairs there they are, coming around the corner. I don’t panic. I am not going to run. I’m going to confront them. They see me and stop. They still look shook up. I apologize for everything. A few of them walk away but three stay behind. They genuinely forgive me.

I try to explain why I thought they stole my card but it was so difficult, They didn’t seem to be understanding my Italian. We drew pictures and they seemed really concerned about another guy they were with when they realized about my card. Perhaps they didn’t really know the other guy and he took it without them knowing. I call Francesco back so he can translate for me and they talk with him and give me back the phone. Francesco says they are not Italian and they speak really bad Italian. Then I start to understand, their language wasn’t an option on the machine and English was. That is why they needed my help. The one guy left but the other two stayed with me and helped me look all over the station for my card. Even when I ditched them to check the parking lot for 10 minutes they waited for me. I really don’t think these two did it. They are just to nice and look really concerned for me. I really don’t care what happened any more. We are trying to talk when an African lady walks by and takes me away from them thinking they are harassing me. She takes me to the platform. I have no ticket.

That was the last I saw of those guys…

I can’t believe how nice the train guy is, he looked in a really bad mood so I didn’t want to ask him what to do about not having a ticket, but he was the only one around. I explained to him what happened and he told me just to get on the train, so I did. I wanted to hug him.

So I'm on the train, Brain cancelled my card. They will have to wire money to me somehow.

The same train guy just came by asking for tickets, thank goodness it was he. He starts talking to me about the next stop and I feel nauseous because I think he is going to tell me I have to get off at the next stop, like that sucks for you. But instead he told me I had two stops to go. He asked me for my card number (my mom gave me hers), he looked at it. I told him it was my moms; he fake entered it into his computer. I really don’t want a freebee, I told him I wanted to pay but he just looked at me saying no it's ok. He just pretended to take my number so others would know I was riding for free. I guess I'm not the only one who gives out freebees. He asked me if I was English. I should have just left it at that, but no, I told him I was American. Go figures, stupid American stereotype. Way to go grace.

I get off the train in Civitanova at 1:30 a.m. I am prepared to spend the rest of the night here and have a really long day tomorrow. Then my phone rings and it's my friend Matteo asking what I'm doing. He and some friends just got out of the cinema. I tell him a little about what happened and without hesitation he says, give me 30 minutes; we are coming to get you. I am so relieved I almost cry.

I really need to use a bathroom but everything is closed. I have needed to pee since Germany. I find myself a nice little bush in the parking lot and hope no one is watching.

Matteo, Samuele, Luca and Roberto came to get me and take me home. It was great to see them. Matteo is my neighbor and took me home and made sure I was ok and safe.

I lay down in my bed and take in all the events of the night.  I can’t believe it worked out or how forgiving and generous the would was to me today. It is beautiful. I learned so much today and I am overwhelmed with gratitude. 

My glasses are fixed : )

It's too early to wake up. I have not been warm in over a month. We pulled out Timur's couch into a bed and we have been having slumber parties : ). I have my own room downstairs but it is boring down there.

I forgot conditioner so my hair is getting pretty rough.

Timur's mom has breakfast made for us : ) Baby carrots, coffee and bread with some sort of meet. It's delicious.

He gives me a bag for my books, because I have homework too. His friends mom picks us up and drops us off near the school. Its kind of rainy.

I see a bunch of the people I met at the party the other day so I don't feel to out of place. We have religion class and I get to sit in : ).

For lunch we walk down to the old town. It is very traditionally German looking, like Frankenmuth. We finally get my glasses fixed so now I don't have to constantly hold them on my face. Timur gets me conditioner, razors, face wash and chocolate at the drug store. I am not used to people buying me stuff like that but he insisted. It is nice to be taken care of again. It's been so long since I've been around my own family. It is a breath of fresh air.

After school Timur skipped choir and we took the bus home. It is a public bus so you had to pay but it was fully of students, most about 8 years old. It was so cute watching them show their bus passes and hitting the button so they can get off.

At home I feel asleep for like two hours while Timur watched movies in German. I'm starting to pick the language back up, it's gonna be shitty when I go back to Italy. I will have the languages all mixed up.

We walked Timur's dog, she is 12 years old, about 12 pounds and sick with a bad cough. I can't believe we walked her. I thought she was going to die.

We went back to Timur's school for a ski banquette. Half their grade went to Austria for a week to ski. It looked like so much fun, they all got really close from the experience. The pictures at the end were the best, everyone was drunk. I forgot what they call it but its like afterski. they start drinking around 4. I love how the teachers are the ones taking all the pictures of the drunk students then playing them in school. Europe knows what's up. Like how the teacher was talking about sex in religion class.

Germany feels a lot like home for me. I love the people and the culture, other than for being more open minded about sex and drinking, we are a lot the same. Well Germany is better in a lot more ways than just that but I'm to tired to write them.

I like it here much more than Italy. Italy feels cold and lonely to me. That could be because I am not living with a family and I don't have a good local friend to show me around. I feel like I can relate better to people here. Everyone speaks English and is very welcoming. Much more friendly than Italy. Don't get me wrong, the last three days in Italy before I came here were the best, making solid friends, meeting their families, studying in the library, learning more Italian. I know things will get better, but I think I will always love Germany the best.

Ich bin gehen zu Deutchland

It's Saturday Feb 20th and I am on my way to Germany, by myself...

Last night I didn't sleep. Matteo and I were supposed go do homework at Pathos but somehow I ended up at a club in Pourto Rickinati.

So I met his family (really nice and fed me Chocolate)

His brother is nine and I tried to help him with his english homework (we have the same workbook except mine is in Italian)

We went to the gate and met up with some friends.

I lost my favorite black shirt at the club last night because I drank to much, possible kissed my hott friend and forgot my shirt. We tried to go back and get it but we couldn't get in because there were strippers. When we were waiting this old man walked by, took him about 4 minutes to walk down 3 stairs, said something suggestive to me then walked into the club, we about peed ourselves.

Matteo couldn't go to the disco because he said he had to study and didn't have clothes to wear. I'm trying to be more open minded so I hopped in the car with Luca and Paolol.

Driving the the Marche region of Italy is unbelievable beautiful. We are driving threw the valleys and can see lighted medieval city after city on the tops of the surrounding hills.

So I am defiantly underdressed... we are at this really classy bar on the Adriatic Sea wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt, smooth move....

We met up with three of Luca's girl friends and drank sex on the beach. The waves are so big they are hitting the glass wall behind me. I am in such a good mood I can't stop smiling : ).

I thought this place was the club and that we would dance on the tables like everywhere else, Paolol looked at me like I was crazy.

I'm sitting at the train station and the lady is saying a bunch of stuff. I sure hope this is the right train...

I think I forgot my little blue book I write all my blog stuff in in Timur's friends car... so this trip is over for now...

Ok I found my blue book but now I am using a German keyboard so its hard to type.

So back to the disco story. We leave the bar and head to the real disco.

Ok, so I am definatly very underdressed. I would be better of walking naked threw a Puratin community. The security men are walking around like the secret service and the girls are all in stilettos and sexy outfits. There are so many old people here in slutty clothes dancin like hoes. This place is the midlife crisis meeting spot of Italy.

Ok so now I have made it to Civitanova, a city near Macerata, so far so good. I sat next to this sweet girl with dreadlocks who helped me when I didn't know where we were. But other than that I didn't talk to here because I was too tired. We didn't make it back from the club until 4:30 am.

Oh yesterday I watched the Italian version of this American game show, girls here don't really wear cothes on TV.

I like Paolol. He Isn't super cute or anything. He doesn't even look Italian, with blonde hair. I just have a good feeling about him, he is so nice. These guys are so much fun : )

I danced with an 80-year-old man... I think he was lost in the disco. I can not even describe this situation without pictures and I don't have any pictures.

So my plan for this trip to Germany is to stay with Timur for a few dazs in Limburg and then Elena in Heidleberg. I am taking trains from Macerata to Rimini, with stops in Civitanova and Ancona. In Rimini I will take a bus to the airport then hopefully fly ryanair to Frankfurt-Hahn. They are really strict with baggage and are notorious for messing things up. Timur and his dad will pick me up from the airport and we will go to a party. Man I hope this all works out...

I think I'm getting better about the fast as tits trains. I don't scream when they go by.

Ok, nevermind, that was a lie.

Oh and I have no idea how I will get to Elena or back to Macerata... I'm not really worried about it though, and that is probably a problem.

I'm getting better at this whole train thing. I am curious to see how they check my passport. I really want to go to Croatia but if my visa is dead it probably is a bad idea because my mom said Croatia's goverment is still somewhat unstable and perhaps a little communist. I'll just go toward the end of my trip so it's not so bad if I get deported.

I'm getting fat here.

I have to pee but I don't want to because I don't want to take my bag in the bathroom.

Well I made it to Ancona. One more train! Now I really need to pee but I have to wait for my train, I am gonna fall in when I hold my bag in the bathroom.

I'm pretty sure I just missed my train.

Yep, definatly just missed me train. I was eating my lunch talking with my mom on the phone. I asked a guy sitting next to me if this was the train to Rimini. He said no and pointed further down the platform then got on the train. I sat there for like ten minutes just looking at it, then it left. I was the only one left on the platform... how am I so dumb.

Shit

I'm gonna miss my flight, I don't have Timur's number. They are gonna be waiting for me at the airport and I wont be there. Oh man this is not good and I still really need to pee.

Ok so this sets me back an hour and a half. I will get to Rimini at 15:00. I know I need to take bus 9 to the airport. I will probably miss the one at 15 so perhaps I make it to the airport by 16 if all goes well. My gate closes at 17:25, ok it might be ok. I will never ask an Italian about trains again...

If I don't keep writing I might freak out. So after my program is done in April I will move in with a family In Urbsalvia for a month. They have two boys, four and ten. I will go to the highschool in Sarnano to help teach English.

Ok I'm on a train to Rimini, I peed, I feel much better now : )

I Made it to Rimini! I found the bus and only need a euro but I am digging threw my pockets and, ok I have a euro. Crap, I need to validate my ticket and I can't find the validator thing,
my bus stop is across a busy road I am scared to cross it.

I crossed it

Crap, the validator is on the other side, I run.

Two girls at the bus stop, both speakin English, one from Italy and one from Germany. They are going the same place, thank goodness.

This week..

The longer I sit in class the more mentally defective I feel I am. I am a slow learner. But if I think about it I don't care. I am not embarrassed. It's kinda fun because when I understand something it's like a bonus. The feeling I get is amazing : ). 

I just took my Italian exam, not so good. 

This week has been a big step for me. I'm making some pretty good Italian friends. One is my neighbor which is super convenient. I have been going with him and some other friends to the library every day. Its fun because they loved helping me with my Italian homework and distracting me, just like at home. 

I have been sick all week and all Italians carry around packets of tissues, I get a new pack from a friend every day : ). They are like my mom taking care of me. 

Almost a good weekend...

So I almost had a good weekend,

I almost did my homework, but then the lady came over to clean the black mold out of the apartment so I had to stay with her. I thought it would be a nice gesture to put on some music for her in the room, then I realized I needed my laptop to do my homework, oops.

However she enjoyed the music and I cleaned our apartment for 3 hours.

I had no food, half an onion and a bag of pasta. I got groceries with the money my mom gave me for Valentines day, super exciting. I love grocery shopping cause I always buy myself a piece of chocolate to eat on the way home and this time no creepy Italian guy took it from me. 

I don't think I posted that story so here it is..

So yesterday I was walking home from the grocery store eating a piece of chocolate when I bumped into and Italian guy I had met just once. He looked at me, kissed me on the cheeks, took the chocolate from my hand, ate half, then offered the other half to his friend. When is friend said no, he looked at it, I was really hoping he would give it back to me, but nope, he popped it in his mouth and walked away... WTF

So I tried to buy rain boots... 

I don't know the word for rain boots... 

so these are the words I used (don't mind my spelling)

Il Scarpe cattivo in nevika   (pointing at my shoes)

Non mi piece piede bagniti   (looking upset)

Voglio scarpe per ashutti piedi in nevika ( trying to act out rain and puddle stomping)

The sales people just looked at me like I was nuts. 

This is what I was trying to say...

the shoes I have are evil in snow

I don't like wet feet

I want dry shoes for my feet in the snow.... yeah my Italian is great

so once I got the idea across the sales lady grapped a pair of black lether boots that could have been the ugliest things I have ever seen and proceeded to put them on not my foot, but my whole damn leg. They went up to my knee. It was to small buy like Cinderellas evil step sisters she was determined to make it fit. The whole time I was tying to tell her not to bother because they are awful. She rolled up my pants and tucked them in, and forced the zipper up, using every ounce of stregnth. There was a family in the store as well with a little girl and they were just watching and giggling. 

So I didn't find any rain boots.... 

I go home, unpack my groceries, pack up my homework and head to Patbos (the internet cafe) So I work on my journal entries for class then my guy friend with the piercings came and picked me up to go get coffee. 

He took me to a sports bar outside the city center and we drank some weird alcohol with our espressos. He proceeded to smoke and drink, probably a little more than he should have. We went to his place after so I could see his animals. He has two snakes, a tarantula, cockroaches, and a cat : )

He helped me with my homework and we just hung out. 

I get home and my room mate is throwing up every five minutes. I already don't feel good. I just had the flu, I don't want it again. I eat an orange, cross my fingers and go to bed.

I wake up, my stomach hurts.... Crap

I gather all my homework on my bed and try to get some of it done while wrapped up in my sleeping bag. Well, that worked for about an hour, then I fell asleep for another 4 hours. Great...

My friend with the piercings texts me wanting to know if he can cook me dinner. Now he told me last night he only cooks for girls he likes, I couldn't help but smile because I kinda like him too. P.S. it is Valentines day, not all is lost : ). 

He says he will be over at 8 so I clean up the house and get cracking on my homework. 

Now its 8:10, no friend...

Now its 8:20, no friend...

8:30, no friend...

Finally at 8:48 I get a call from him asking me to let him in. I hit the buzzer to unlock the upstairs door and tell him to go downstairs. I turn on the light for him and stand in the door way as I listen to his footsteps go all the way to the top of my apartment building. Then I hear nothing. I have no idea where he is... finally 5 minutes later he figures it out and stumbles there my door. I can smell the booze, he is so drunk he can hardly walk. My heart just sunk.

He had forgotten all about dinner, started talking super loud when my room mate was trying to study and I felt like a baby sitter. I got him some water. I didn't want to kick him out because if I did he would be driving and would probably just go to a bar. 

I have him some Italian worksheets to do for me in pencil. He really wants to help teach me Italian because people taught him English, he's paying it forward. He left his house and didn't want to go back till 11 so he could give his room mate some time with his girlfriend. A nice gesture, but I really like this friend when he is sober.... 

We had as fun of time as we could have. I didn't get my homework done, other than for the homework he did for me. He left around 10:45 and gave me a big hug. I really hope he gets his act together, He is an extremely talented guy, actor, musician, artist. 

Well now I have time to do some homework..

Nope, a friend just called me to go out. I said no, he called me a grandma, I gave in. 

He is my neighbor so he was waiting in the car 2 minutes from when I said I would go. We drove to the gate. (this place that is like the main entry into the city walls) We always meet there in this little area in front of a laundry mat with high stone ceilings. It is always cold there but that is always were they meet, and wait, and plan, and wait, no matter what weather it is.  

There are about 12 of us there now and we pile into three cars and head to a bar. It was nice, Grace and I got pizza, It was just a nice little get together. Home around 12:30.

Homework still not done, but I'm tired and don't feel good, time for bed.

Venice...

So I tried to buy train ticketed to Venice today with Katie…

The guy selling tickets was older and didn’t speak any English. So I decided to use my Italian skills. He gave us our tickets and I was pumped because instead of 22 euro they were only 16.50! Then Katie grabbed me as I started to walk away, the tickets were for Florence, not Venice, oops.

The next set of tickets we got were to Venice, but they were really expensive, we didn’t want that, Katie told the man Regionale (a cheaper train) and he about threw out money back at us. In the end we got our tickets to Venice for 22.50 and managed to piss off a sweet old Italian man and the huge line of impatient Italians behind us… nice

So we are walking to the train station and I have the feeling I forgot my train tickets. I ask Carly to check my bag for me but she can’t find them. I take my pak pak off to check myself, they are there. We start walking again and I hear Carly say no no nonononon stop! As I feel my pakpak getting lighter and listen to its contents spill across the sidewalk.

Crap

But somehow neither the tomato sauce or vodka bottles broke.

So we just missed out train, our heads were on the door as it pulled away. The lady inside the window just shook her head as all five of us, Carly, Alyson, Katie, Molly and I watched with disbelief as our train disappeared into the tunnel.

Oops.

Well now I have some time to tell you about Venice. Venice is a port city in Northeast Italy. It is built on the water of the Adriatic Sea and is composed of many Islands.  It was a city that blossomed around the 12^th century when the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman empire, successor to the Roman heritage and to the line of Caesar’s from the time of Augustus) weakened and continued to gain power during the 13^th and 14^th centuries due to

the growth of commercial trade. Venice and Genoese ruled the sea trade routes. Markups were great and covered ocean travel insurance.  Venice was dependant on imported food and raw materials. Germans went to Venice to set up markets: Venice became main carrier of eastern products.

Venetians themselves were very proud and wealthy. They would were fancy outfits when walking the streets, often thousands of dollars worth of clothes and jewels. They were so proud indeed they married the Adriatic Sea to show their power over her. They did this by tossing her a golden ring, pronouncing Venice the Virgin city because she has never been taken by force.

We are going to Venice not only because it is beautiful and rich with history, but to celebrate the biggest party in the world, Carnivale. Carnivale is a time where people dress in costume with masks and do as they please. They can party and sin as they please without anyone knowing who they are. This festival comes before lent and allows a person to get all their craziness out before they have to “be good”. Marty Gras is a spin off of the Venetian Carnivale.

So in Venice most of our group will be staying in a hotel in Lido, a nearby Island. I didn’t want to waste my money so my friend Katie and I decided to Couch Surf. Our host, lets call him Host Man, is a 40-year-old single man. We will be staying in his second house, which is located near the city center of Venice. There will be nine girls staying there, two from Russia, two from Israel, three from Turkey then Katie and I.  This should be interesting.

We have an hour layover in Civitanova, a city on the sea just northeast of Macerata. We need to find an internet café because Carly needs to get the hotel information to the rest of the group who didn’t miss the train so they can check in.

Ok so I’m pretty sure I almost peed my pants and blew out my friends eardrums. An express train just went by and I’m sitting on the platform. It was coming straight at us at like 100 mph. I fetal positioned so fast and screamed. I thought I was gonna die. My friends just laughed…. Not funny

So I just sat nest to a really cut boy on the train. He doesn’t speak any English but its nice to look at him while we are trying to figure out how to communicate.

Well the cute boy just got off and now this Old Italian man keeps talking to Alyson and me about collecting miniature monuments. He wants us to find one of the Whitehouse and mailed it to him. I don’t want to. I told him American mail is dead (my Italian vocabulary is limited) and wrote e-bay on a piece of paper and gave it to him. Poor Alyson, she speaks way more Italian than I do and he keeps talking to her, ha.

We switch trains again in Ancona. Molly made some kind of pasta salad and we all dig in with our fingers because we don’t have forks. We are dirty Americans and I don’t care.

I really need to use the bathroom, I’m waiting and waiting by the door but no one comes out, I think they are having sex so I go sit back down.

So I guess the bathrooms on trains don’t work when they are at the station. I think this is because the stuff all just flushes out onto the tracks, my bad.

I’m tired so I fall asleep, the other girls are all chatting in the seats on the other side of the train leaving room for random people to sit by me. This young couple gets on and sits directly across from me. I can see them threw my scarf which I wrapped around my head to sleep. (my face looks funny when I’m sleeping and I guess sometimes I drool). They were fine until the girl took the guys face in her hands and started talking to him in a nasally baby voice. I wanted to puke. Then he wrapped his arms around her like John Lennon and Yoko. This lasted for like a half hour then she started talking again in her nasally valley girl voice and proceeded to make out, nosily. I feel nauseous.

Now we are in Bologna

Katie told her parents that the guy we are staying with is a friend of mine. Now I’m gonna feel even worse if we die.

I already ate a whole loaf of bread.

So Katie and I just realized our tickets take us to Mestre, a city just outside of Venice. I think that must have been the old mans way of saying f**k you. He wins…

Everyone else’s tickets go to St. Lucia, which is the main train station in Venice, and they are the same price! Katie and I are just going to play dumb because it’s just one train stop more.

Katie’s travel book says playing the dumb American card wont work in Venice because there are so many tourists here. Crap….

So we are almost to Venice. I am really nervous about the playing dumb thing, I’m just gonna do it and cry.

Now we are at the place were we are supposed to get off and we are not getting off. I’m freaking out, my heart is pounding, I know if we get off here we will get lost and its dark and we don’t know how to get to Venice, it’s just a bad idea. I know they are gonna check our tickets, it’s gonna happen…

We are still on the train,

Still on the train…

Ok the train is moving. We are doing it, no turning back now, I hope I have my passport.

Oh my gosh we are in Venice! It’s dark and it’s pouring. Oh man I don’t care!!!

I have no idea how to get to Host Man’s so I call him. He gives me directions but I forgot them already. Now we are lost but he is calling me back.

He met us half way and walked us back to his place, thank goodness.

Katie and I cannot believe our luck, it’s to good to be true, Host Man is so nice, perhaps a little ocd but it’s a good change from our messy lifestyles. Katie and I take shots with red oranges, probably one of the best ideas I have ever had before heading out to explore before dinner.

Agh. Its dark and rainy but we are like little kids gawking at everything, the gondolas, canals, churches, wells, piazzas, its is so beautiful here! We are soaked then at 8 we come back and put our wet clothes on the registers and talk with Host Man, his English is so good and he as only been practicing for six months!

The Turkish girls just got home too. They are so nice. The one likes photography and used my lens to check it out. Katie and I helped Host Man cook. He is a chef. The Turkish girls brought wine and onions. We brought water and tomato sauce.

Dinner took a while to make, but it was worth it. We set the table and it was beautiful. The wine glasses sparkled in the dimly lit room. Classical music was playing in the background and it seemed to match the dancing light reflecting off the wine as we talked and ate. It was the best spaghetti ever.

The Turkish girls brought Turkish delights (like the ones form the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe) they really are good!

Katie and I did dishes while one of the Turkish girls made us all Turkish coffee. It was good but all the grounds were at the bottom. I asked what to do with them and she to leave them because some people can read the drinkers fortune with them.

So far so good : )

We are too tired to go out.

The next morning…

I feel so sick, like I need to throw up.

I didn’t sleep so good, my bed was really small and my sleeping bag is slipper, I rolled over and almost slipped off.

The Turkish girls were out late last night, we didn’t see them this morning. We made proschutto and cheese sandwiches, tea, and croissants for breakfast. We had the house to ourselves because Host Man was meditation and the girls were sleeping.

So it took us four hours to find San Marco (the main square were all the people go to). But that was ok, we enjoyed looking around at all the beautiful shops and masks.

We found a Burger King! I’m so excited because Burger King is American and Americans have big coffee’s.

My coffee is the size of my fist. Fail.

We sit down because we are exhausted and I’m trying not to throw up.

We leave and walk some more, find San Marco. Its huge, the church is huge and beautiful, but there are just so many tourists, I cant handle it and we are both hungry.

Oh that picture is of a friar talking with some hippies...

My stomach hurts like I have the flu but I’m not achy and I don’t have a fever. I dragged Katie around the city looking for a kebob lace. It took forever and I was just feeling sicker, we fond one for four Euros. Katie thought I was crazy for eating it. We were so tired of waling so we sat in a small piazza on a well to eat. We met some dumb drunk American guys in white masks and ponchos.

We wanted to get gelato, but I thought it would be a bad idea, but I got some anyway.

I am so sick, I tell Katie go to meet up with the rest of our group. I need to go home.

So I thought I knew how to get back. But after 90 minutes of painful walking I ended right back at burger king. I’m gonna die right here in burger king, I know it.

I finally gathered enough strength to try again. Its getting dark and I need to hurry. I keep asking police where the station is and they nod me in a random direction. I don’t think, I just walk and push my way threw the masses of people.

So its dark now and I’m in a quiet back alley. Host Man isn’t home. I text him, but no answer. I sit on tome stairs going into the canal and try not to pass out.

I really need to go to a bathroom.

Another forty minutes goes by before he gets home. The American and Israeli girl just arrived. I introduced myself, tell Host Man I ate evil food, use the bathroom and go to bed.

I blew chunks. I swear half of the kebob is still in my sinuses.

I went back to bed.

I wake up, its 12p.m now, Katie is home and we are talking about her day.

A piece of Kebob just dropped into my mouth from my nasal cavity, delicious…

I need to go to the bathroom again but the Russian girls are in them and will be for a long time. So Katie Achim Julia and I camp out on the kitchen floor just chatting. One of the older Turkish girls is supposably sick and Host Man is in the room with her taking care of her. We have a good feeling they were taking care of each other… so we moved the pow wow to our room.

The next day…

So this is awesome, we are taking a bus boat to San Marco. I just saw a bunch of kayakers in masks and costumes making their way into the canal.

We had another exciting time buying train tickets, I have no idea how this works, I don’t even know if we have seats.

Watching them work the boats makes me miss Shepler’s.

So yesterday was miserable and today is great. Katie went with the rest of our American group and I stayed with Julia and Achi. We were walking back to Host Man’s house when I saw two little boys playing soccer in the piazza, one passed the ball to me so I started playing, then Julia and Acheim started joined in too. I was on the boy’s team. I have no idea who won but it was the highlight of my weekend. The piazza was so busy and people kept getting in the way, but instead of getting mad they would just join in for a few seconds with a huge smile. Italians sure do love soccer, even when the ball unexpectedly hits them in the face.

When we got back to Host Man’s we made tea and sat on my bedroom floor and took shots of vodka with orange slices. I only had two hours before my train left so we made the most of it and hit the streets! They were lit and full of shops and merchants selling things from masks, to raw fish, to vegetables. My mission was to find a cheap bottle of wine to give Host Man for dinner. We got one for four Euros from this fun old man trying to speak English. We bought a bottle four ourselves as well. He even opened it for us. Only in Venice can you walk gaily down the streets wearing masks and drinking wine from the bottle. The city was beautiful, everything was beautiful, everyone was happy and excited. It felt like Christmas Eve.

Julia and Anchi are two very awesome girls. We met random people. One group of guys our age asked us if we want to go smoke a joint with them, how nice, but we declined.

Tonight is just so beautiful. I can’t remember all the details but it is a blur of laughter and glowing bustling streets.

I miss my friends from home so much right now. I just want threw my old pictures; I miss home and college and everyone so much. I wish they could be here with me. This is really sad.

Trip home…

Tickets different from schedule

Don’t know what train to get on

Get on train to Verona

Drunk obnoxious guys talk to us, take tons of pictures, deface my sketch of the Virgin Mary and scribble on our homework

Talk with two polite Sicilian gentlemen when the rowdy group gets off

We get off in Verona

We get on a train

It is a sleeper train, meaning it is horrible, assigned seats, skinny hallway, and sleeping next to random people.

I fall asleep

I wake up

The lights are on, Katie looks confused, everyone is talking in Italian like they are annoyed then look at us.

There is a new woman in our cabin

I have a feeling we messed up.

We messed up.

The older guy is doing most of the talking while standing in the doorway

Two younger boys heads are peering around the door to watch what’s going on.

We are in bologna and we need to get off

I start to get off and the man in the door tells me to sit

Katie tells me we were supposed to get off, but our train already left, she didn’t know we had to get off.

I don’t care cause I wouldn’t have known either.

The new lady and the boy are the people who’s seats were in

Mass confusion

I just want to stand, and they make a huge deal about it.

We just leave the cabin

The older man finds me a seat in a different cabin

I sit in it for 30 seconds, realize I am surround by middle age men who are looking at me like a juicy steak and flee the scene

I find Katie and one of the boys.

We stick together

There are two boys and we make friends with them

Then this guy I met earlier who I thought was nice started caressing my face and touching my hair.

Super not cool.

I give him the NO hand and squeeze threw the two “good” boys so they’re blocking him from me.

He tries to get threw and talk to me. I put my hood up and face the other direction

He talks to the boys for about a half hour.

then one of the boys looks at me and is like, He’s crazy.

I knew that.

The guy tries to talk to me again,

The second boys tells me something in Italian

I repeat it to the man

I think it was something like your crazy leave me alone, but that’s just a guess

Finally he leaves

We are exhausted so we camp out on the floor like packed sardines.

To bad we cant understand each other

This is all at like 2:30 in the morning

So we arrive in Ancona! Katie sees Alyson and some others in our group. I am so excited, we are not going to die. The good Italian boy gets our bags for us because they are in the creepy guys cabin. I really like those two and the ones dad. They saved us.

We run to the rest of our group, eat food then try to figure out how to get home. We take a train to Civitanova then from Civitanova to Macerata, the last train kept breaking and stopping in the idle of no were, we are so exhausted we have no idea what is going on.

The mile walk up hill to our apartment is freezing at 6 am. We have school in 2 hours and I still have to finish my homework, this is going to be a rough day.

Random things I find interesting,..

Me: I just had the thought whether to change my underwear or just turn them inside out…

Alyson: Ugh, I don’t even know what’s clean or dirty. 

Me: Just smell it. 

Alyson: (walks away) 

Me: So do II have to change my underwear if I changed then last night? 

Alyson: That’s a personal choice…    

(A few moments go by) 

Alyson: So did you change them? 

Me: Yeah…. 

Alyson. Good

Oh and I forgot to mention. I live above a dance studio and across the street from a karaoke bar. Silence does not exist. 

Sitting in class is a talent I do not have. The pull our arm rest connected the the chairs are the size of a slice of bread. They are al bent so if we don't pay attention our books slip of and spill all over the floor. About once every five minutes someone slaps their hand to the books to try and keep them from falling. It is impossible to sleep leaning on them. They will snap forward and everyone will stare at you. 

In Italy Subways are rare to find because whenever they try to dig and make one they discover an ancient city.

The Bubonic Plague wiped out more than two thirds of the population in Europe starting in 1347. It started when the Genoese were over in the East near China. They were trading there and got in a fight with the Mongols but the Mongols couldn't get around the Genoese walls so when their people started getting sick and dying they catapulted the infected corpses over the walls of the city. Hundreds of rotting corpses in city walls do not smell good. The Genoese tried to burn the bodies but that just made it worse, they gave up and sailed back to Italy. 

On the way back some of them became sick as well. Genoa is one of the main port cities in Europe and the disease quickly spread. Rats were the main carrier of the disease and their fleas are what spread it to humans. It affected a persons gland areas first, neck, armpits, etch then spread. Portions of skin would die and a boil would form. Most infected people died within two or three weeks. 

This is before the Pheumonic and Septicemic Plauge. That killed a person in just two to three days. It was spread more easily, threw the air. Pheumonic affected the lungs and the septicemic affected the other organs. 

The 100 years war was actually 114 years. Joan of Arc was a major player in helping the French get their land back from the English. The French were getting dominated when this young peasant girl made here way to the King of France. He heard she was coming and that God was with her and he wanted to see if she was legit. So before she arrived he swapped clothes with a noble man, put the crown on him and let him sit in his thrown while he hid in the crowd. When she arrived she walked up to the "King" started to bow and then stopped. She looked around and saw the true king in the crowd, walked over to him, knelt and kissed his hand. This is amazing because she could not have know what the King could have looked like. She said she knew because St. Micheal was standing next to him. St. Micheal and St. Catherine were the spirit saints who traveled and talked with Joan. 

The king believed her. She fought in battles. In the Battle of Orleon she was shot in the shoulder with an arrow and knocked off her horse. She pulled the arrow out, got back on her horse and lead the attack. It was a huge victory for her and the French.

She began gaining a lot of popularity and began getting a little full of her self. She was as popular as the French King. This got her captured by the Duke of Burgendy who turned her over to the English. The English put up a ransom for her but the French King didn't care. They told him they would kill her, but he still didn't care. He wanted to be rid of her because she was taking away his popularity. 

The English put her on trial and asked her the trick question "are you in God's Grace?" If she were to say yes she would be admitting to be able to speak with God and be burned. If she said no she would be convicted of a heretic and burned. So when she answered "If I'm not may he put me there." the English didn't know what to do. 

They ended up convicting her of Heresy for dressing like a man. She did this when she was in jail for fear of being raped. 

She was burned at the stake. She was only 19 years old...